During the past week we've discussed a number of great links; on Google+, Twitter, the Daily 'Paper' and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.

Thanks again to everyone who watched and joined in the discussion Gymchat 255 - Pillars of Paleo [with Kettlebell and CrossFit Coach Adam Farrah and Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett] - much appreciated. If you haven't seen it yet (or simply want to go over a particular point again), here's the entire video.

Looks great.

Max Shank's 'Master The Kettlebell' is quite simply the book I wish I'd had when I was first experimenting with kettlebells. I'll post up a full review shortly; in the meantime, here's a snippet from the main page on Dragon Door :

This book is a must-have for current or aspiring RKC or HKC instructors, or anyone who needs real, practical, and POWERFUL advice for kettlebell use. The exercise descriptions, mobility information, and solid program design strategies are incredibly worthwhile. My advanced clients will love having a resource to reference when practicing new intermediate/advanced moves at home too. A great all around approach and one that I will be very proud to regularly reference and share.

Max Shank's 'Master The Kettlebell'.

I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :

• Gem From The Vault : Australian Strongman Don Athaldo
  Scott Andrew Bird
  The man behind 'The Athalding System'.

  
  

• Looking At : Aug 31, 2014
  Scott Andrew Bird
  What's been going on this week? Quite a lot actually.

  
  

Over to you. I'd love to hear what you think : leave your comments on the above articles, and share them with your friends/colleagues/clients and so on.
NB : If you're keen to do more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Josh Hewett's Pursuit of a 600lb Deadlift

Fantastic goal.

Josh is working with Strength Coach Craig Bongelli (who we chatted with in Gymchat 246 - great discussion), specifically targetting a 600lb pull. Good stuff.

Gymchat 255 - Evolutionary Eating (The Pillars of Paleo)

What's your current diet like? What do you eat, and why?

In Gymchat 205 we talked to the wonderful Adam Farrah about the basics of the Paleo Diet, and how it can help.

This week we're returning to the conversation - looking at things in detail. Examining exactly how everything works, and how to tweak it in order to get what you want.

Once again we're joined by Kettlebell and CrossFit Coach Adam Farrah, and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett. Fantastic.


NB : We'd love to hear your questions and comments. If there's a particular subject you'd like Adam and Josh to address, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat and leave a comment or jump in the Hangout and ask it directly.

And if you'd like to point your friends/colleagues to the discussion, just use the 'share' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.

Details -

Who : Kettlebell and CrossFit Coach Adam Farrah, Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : Evolutionary Eating (The Pillars of Paleo)
When : Apologies for the late notice; we had to adjust the date for this one. It'll be on Friday Sep 5, 3:00pm EDT (the Event page shows what time that is in your local timezone).
How : Watch the live stream, join the hangout (just add Top Form Fitness to one of your circles, and Josh'll send out the URL when the Hangout starts), or jump in the Q&A on the Event page itself. We'll also post the full video on the main site shortly after the Gymchat.

Coming Up : We've got several fantastic discussions coming up shortly - with Personal Trainer Jaime Smith, Strength & Conditioning Coach Matt Palfrey and many, many others. Of course, we're always scheduling more; if you'd like to suggest either a topic or a person that should definitely be on the show, drop us a line. Cheers.

Tip of the Week: The Power of Naming Your Workouts

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via Twitter, Google+, the blog; and now the newsletter. Wherever you are, there's always a way to improve what you're doing.

---

Here's a simple technique which greatly increases the potential of your workouts. Kira describes the full process in the article Give Your Workout a Name!, but here's a quick story to give you the basic idea :

A few years ago, a couple of young dudes I trained with (Muay Thai), wanted to do some extra conditioning work. I offered to take them on a run up Puke Hill on the weekends.

After a few nervous side-glances, both of them asked, "Why is it called Puke Hill?" After striking a suitably melodramatic pose, I just smiled and then walked away.

When they finally got to do the run, I noticed three distinct changes to the way they normally trained:

• Intensity - It was the hardest I'd seen either of them train.
• Team-work - When one of them almost gave up, the other one slowed down and ran beside his friend--helping him to complete the last set of sprints.
• Accomplishment - After the run, neither whined or complained. In fact, despite their exhaustion, both had shit-eating grins plastered across their ugly faces.

Of course Puke Hill is just a hill. Sure it was steep, and using it for interval-sprints was quite challenging, but what hill sprints aren't challenging? So here's the point of my story: I believe that by simply giving the run a name, my two padawans trained harder, worked together better, and gained a greater sense of individual and shared achievement.

Good stuff.

Checking Out : Master The Kettlebell (Max Shank)

Looks great.

Max Shank's 'Master The Kettlebell' is quite simply the book I wish I'd had when I was first experimenting with kettlebells. I'll post up a full review shortly; in the meantime, here's a snippet from the main page on Dragon Door :

This book is a must-have for current or aspiring RKC or HKC instructors, or anyone who needs real, practical, and POWERFUL advice for kettlebell use. The exercise descriptions, mobility information, and solid program design strategies are incredibly worthwhile. My advanced clients will love having a resource to reference when practicing new intermediate/advanced moves at home too. A great all around approach and one that I will be very proud to regularly reference and share.

Max Shank's 'Master The Kettlebell'.

---

Quick update on the Hip Thruster we mentioned recently - fantastic thing.

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

During the past week we've discussed a number of great links; on Google+, Twitter, the Daily 'Paper' and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.

What's your current diet like? What do you eat, and why?

In Gymchat 205 we talked to the wonderful Adam Farrah about the basics of the Paleo Diet, and how it can help.

This week we're returning to the conversation - looking at things in detail. Examining exactly how everything works, and how to tweak it in order to get what you want.

Once again we're joined by Kettlebell and CrossFit Coach Adam Farrah, and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett. Fantastic.


NB : We'd love to hear your questions and comments. If there's a particular subject you'd like Adam and Josh to address, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat and leave a comment or jump in the Hangout and ask it directly.

And if you'd like to point your friends/colleagues to the discussion, just use the 'share' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.

Details -

Who : Kettlebell and CrossFit Coach Adam Farrah, Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : Evolutionary Eating (Paleo Revisited)
When : Apologies for the late notice; we had to adjust the date for this one. It'll be on Friday Sep 5, 3:00pm EDT (the Event page shows what time that is in your local timezone).
How : Watch the live stream, join the hangout (just add Top Form Fitness to one of your circles, and Josh'll send out the URL when the Hangout starts), or jump in the Q&A on the Event page itself. We'll also post the full video shortly after the Gymchat.

I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :

• Gem From The Vault : GripWalking
  Dan Hardisky
  A great way to get a little grip work.

  
  

• Looking At : Aug 24, 2014
  Scott Andrew Bird
  What's been going on this week? Quite a lot actually.

  
  

Over to you. I'd love to hear what you think : leave your comments on the above articles, and share them with your friends/colleagues/clients and so on.
NB : If you're keen to do more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : Strongman Circuits & Tug of War Battles

A look at the training approach of the incredible Zach Even-Esh.

Gymchat 255 - Evolutionary Eating (Paleo Revisited)

What's your current diet like? What do you eat, and why?

In Gymchat 205 we talked to the wonderful Adam Farrah about the basics of the Paleo Diet, and how it can help.

This week we're returning to the conversation - looking at things in detail. Examining exactly how everything works, and how to tweak it in order to get what you want.

Once again we're joined by Kettlebell and CrossFit Coach Adam Farrah, and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett. Fantastic.


NB : We'd love to hear your questions and comments. If there's a particular subject you'd like Adam and Josh to address, just swing by the event page for this Gymchat and leave a comment or jump in the Hangout and ask it directly.

And if you'd like to point your friends/colleagues to the discussion, just use the 'share' button at the top of that page. The more the merrier.

Details -

Who : Kettlebell and CrossFit Coach Adam Farrah, Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett, and You
Topic : Evolutionary Eating (Paleo Revisited)
When : Monday Sep 1, 8:00pm EDT (the Event page shows what time that is in your local timezone).
How : Watch the live stream, join the hangout (just add Top Form Fitness to one of your circles, and Josh'll send out the URL when the Hangout starts), or jump in the Q&A on the Event page itself. We'll also post the full video shortly after the Gymchat.

Coming Up : We've got several fantastic discussions coming up shortly - with Personal Trainer Jaime Smith, Strength & Conditioning Coach Matt Palfrey and many, many others. Of course, we're always scheduling more; if you'd like to suggest either a topic or a person that should definitely be on the show, drop us a line. Cheers.

Tip of the Week: Sleep Hygiene

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via Twitter, Google+, the blog; and now the newsletter. Wherever you are, there's always a way to improve what you're doing.

---

One of the areas that Josh Hewett and Sincere Hogan covered in Gymchat 253 was the general approach to sleep hygiene. Though the specifics will obviously vary from person to person, Sincere outlines the basic idea :

Good stuff.

Checking Out : Jedd's Braced Bending DVD

Ever watched Jedd Johnson's Braced Bending DVD? Love it.

This is an incredible collection of strength feats - and how to train for them. The video on the sales page will give you an idea of what's included, but suffice to say : if you're interested in learning how to tackle longer bars, frying pans and all kinds of fun stuff - this DVD's for you.

Braced Bending.

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Quick update on the Hip Thruster we mentioned recently - fantastic thing.

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

During the past week we've discussed a number of great links; on Google+, Twitter, the Daily 'Paper' and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.

I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :

• Gem From The Vault : Outdoor Log Workout
  Scott Andrew Bird
  Fantastic.

  
  

• Looking At : Aug 17, 2014
  Scott Andrew Bird
  What's been going on this week? Quite a lot actually.

  
  

Over to you. I'd love to hear what you think : leave your comments on the above articles, and share them with your friends/colleagues/clients and so on.

NB : If you're keen to do more writing in 2014 and would like to submit your own piece for Straight to the Bar, here's how.

Video : How To Squat

Over to the incredible Alan Thrall.

Gymchats 254 - TBA

As Josh is currently on-the-road (his Instagram feed will give you an idea of what he's getting up to), we're rescheduling the next couple of discussions. New details shortly. In the meantime, take a look at some of the previous episodes of the show - there's a full list here. And if you've got any questions or comments on the various topics discussed, we'd love to hear them. Just leave a note below the video.


Previously : In Gymchat 253 we discussed Improving Recovery & Performance (with New Warrior Training Systems' Sincere Hogan and Personal Trainer and Strength Athlete Josh Hewett). Great conversation. If you missed the live stream (or just want to go over a particular point again), you can watch the entire video here.

Tip of the Week: Nails - Converting Imperial to Metric

Each week we publish a number of tips and techniques via Twitter, Google+, the blog; and now the newsletter. Wherever you are, there's always a way to improve what you're doing.

---

When it comes to incredibly enjoyable ways to train, bending things is certainly high on the list. I love wandering around hardware stores in any case, and always seem to end up in the 'nails and fasteners' area.

Love it.


The first time I did that however (well, the first time after Jedd suggested I try a little nail-bending), I was in for a bit of a shock. The days of Imperial -> Metric conversion charts were gone, and the nail sizes were all noted in millimetres.

If - like me - you're looking to go the other way (I learnt a number of core concepts from friends in the US, and Imperial measurements were everywhere), the following might help. From the article Nails : Converting Imperial to Metric, a couple of tables that may come in handy :

Nail Shank Gauges

Gauge sizes	Decimal inches	Decimal Millimeters
18	.049	1.24
16	.065	1.65
15	.072	1.83
14	.083	2.10
13	.095	2.41
12	.109	2.76
11	.120	3.04
10	.134	3.40
9	.148	3.76
8	.165	4.19
7	.175	4.44
6	.203	5.15
4	.238	6.04

Nail Lengths

Nail Penny sizes	In fractions of inches	In millimetres
2d	1	25.4
3d	1 ¼	31.8
4d	1 ½	38.1
5d	1 ¾	44.5
6d	2	50.8
7d	2 ¼	57.2
8d	2 3/8 or 2 ½	60.3 or 63.5
9d	2 ¾	69.9
10d	3	76.2
12d	3 ¼	82.5
16d	3 ½	88.9
20d	4	101.6
30d	4 ½	114.3
40d	5	127.0
60d	6	152.4
70d	7	177.8
80d	8	203.2
90d	9	228.6
100d	10	254.0

Enjoy.

Re-Reading : UnThinkable

Fantastic book.

UnThinkable is Scott Rigsby's autobiography; and perhaps the most inspirational story you'll ever hear.

If you don't know Scott, part of the book's description on Amazon will give you a good idea :

After losing both of his legs in a car accident at age 18, Scott Rigsby battled his way back from depression and addiction to achieve the unthinkable--become the first double-leg amputee ever to cross the finish line in the sporting world's most gruelling and prestigious competition, the Ironman Triathlon. Scott has since become an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of physically challenged and able-bodied athletes the world over. Unthinkable documents Scott's remarkable journey.

It's an incredibly inspirational book. Definitely one to check out.

---

Quick update on the Hip Thruster we mentioned recently - fantastic thing.

Rather than trying to explain how it works, here it is in action :

Good stuff Bret, looks great.

During the past week we've discussed a number of great links; on Google+, Twitter, the Daily 'Paper' and so on. Here are a few of my favourites.